Published aeronautical charts, such as, for example, Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) charts, Standard Terminal Arrival (STAR) charts or Terminal Arrival Area (TAA) charts, Standard Instrument Departure (SID) routes, Departure Procedures (DP), terminal procedures, approach plates, and the like, depict and describe the procedures for operating aircraft at or in the vicinity of various airports, runways, or other landing and/or departure locations. These charts graphically illustrate and describe the specific procedure information and instructions (e.g., minimum descent altitudes, minimum runway visual range, final course or heading, relevant radio frequencies, missed approach procedures) to be followed or otherwise utilized by a pilot for executing a particular aircraft procedure. These charts are typically provided by a governmental or regulatory organization, such as, for example, the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States. Traditionally, a pilot would maintain copies of these printed charts for the various possible airports that the pilot may encounter during operation of the aircraft.
Electronic displays in many modern flight deck displays (or cockpit displays) are eliminating the need to maintain paper charts for the various procedures that a pilot may need to execute. However, the size of the electronic display inside an aircraft cockpit is often limited due to the number of instruments and human-machine interface elements inside the cockpit (e.g., joysticks, knobs, buttons, and the like) along with the need for the pilot to have an unobstructed view outside the aircraft. Furthermore, some of the display area on the electronic display may be utilized or reserved for other processes (e.g., primary flight displays, synthetic vision displays, vertical situation displays, flight management windows, and the like). As a result, it is difficult to display all of the procedure information for operating the aircraft on an electronic display in a clear and uncluttered manner. Thus, in many situations, the procedure information is not shown on the display in its entirety.
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) or crew resource management (CRM) protocols often require that a pilot review (or brief) an aircraft procedure before attempting to execute that procedure. For example, the SOP or CRM protocol may dictate that the pilot review the approach procedure prior to or just after the top of descent point, or in any event, prior to reaching the terminal area and beginning the approach. In some situations, the pilot may also be required to review a subset of the procedure information for the approach procedure prior to final approach (e.g., prior reaching the final approach fix and/or prior to the minimum descent altitude). In existing systems, the pilot is required to review the procedure off the paper chart or the electronic display, which distracts the pilot from any other visual tasks that the pilot may need to perform (e.g., a concurrent visual monitoring requirement) and requires that the pilot locate the appropriate procedure information on the paper chart and/or electronic display. Additionally, when the electronic display does not include all of the necessary procedure information to be briefed, the pilot may need to manipulate the electronic display to review the necessary procedure information. Accordingly, it is desirable to reduce the workload on the pilot and improve situational awareness.